Top Five Quotes From the Sunday Talk Shows

The government shutdown and the coming fight over the U.S. Treasury Department’s ability to borrow were the main focus of the Sunday talk shows. Below are some of the key points made by today’s talkers, including Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who appeared on four shows.

1. “We’ve never gotten to the point where the United States government has operated without the ability to borrow. It’s very dangerous. It’s reckless, because the reality is, there are no good choices if we run out of borrowing capacity and we run out of cash. It will mean that the United States, for the first time since 1789, would be not paying its bills, hurting the full faith and credit, because of a political decision,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, speaking on CNN’s State of the Union about what will happen if Congress doesn’t raise the so-called debt limit.

2. “We’re not going to pass a clean debt limit increase…. We’re not going down that path. It is time to deal with America’s problems. How can you raise the debt limit and do nothing about the underlying problem? … My goal here is to have a serious conversation about those things that are driving the deficit and driving the debt up. And the president’s refusal to sit down and have a conversation about this is putting our nation at risk of default.” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), speaking on ABC’s This Week.

3. “The fact that you are seeing so many nasty partisan jabs from Democrats … I think is indicative of the fact that we’re winning the argument. Obamacare isn’t working,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Fla.), speaking on CNN’s State of the Union

4. “I am absolutely committed to John Boehner,” Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.), on Fox News Sunday, when asked whether he would consider a vote to strip Mr. Boehner of his Speaker title if he doesn’t win concessions from Democrats in exchange for passing government spending bills.

5. “If you look at the cases where the debt limit was involved, there were many other things attached to the debt limit, but the question of threatening to cause a default of the United States, not until 2011 did it become a positive agenda,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, on Fox News Sunday, reiterating why President Barack Obama won’t negotiate over the debt limit and wants to pass a clean bill raising the statutory borrowing limit.

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